MyOMy

Chinese is no longer Chinese after 60 years of plotical indoctrination and 20 years of extreme merchantilism. I may be oversimply things, but won't think of myself living in such a soceity as China nowadays. If you feel comfortable about that, you may be in parardise.

US is a big country, there are regional difference. Generally speaking, you earn more in the north east and pacific west (except Oregon) but people are impatient and they won't give you the time of the day. Anything in between, you earn less but people are nicer (except some reknown red neck states)and you don't have good Chinese food.

In the long term, housing price will be increasing excpet the economy is declining. You don't want to see that day right. For Vancouver, from all the years I spent here. The house price is cycling. But one cycle is higher than the last cycle. That is like  SPIKE - PLATEAU - DROP 10 TO 30% - RISE - SPIKE.....  

So, if you are in Vancouver for the long term, you can pick any time to buy a house as long as you are not in for the short term. Id you trust your own instinct, pick the time when the market is down 10 to 30%. My neighbour brought his house in 1967 for 18,000 is now worth 800,000 just the land. That is quite good for his retirement if he relocates to an apartment.  Vancouver and Canada needs you, man. OR my retiremnt pesnion will run out before I can get to it.

Oh, for Ditchmond. If you are scarce of earthquake, don't live there. Anywhere in Ditchmond you dig 3 feet you find water. Some people using the term "vaporize" to visualize the after earthquake effect.

MyOMy

To  Sazabi and Chobit.

Sorry I don’t meant to scarce anyone other than poking a little fun for discussion.  I aint no geologist, I don’t know about “technically”, but it is absolutely politically incorrect. When I wrote, my mind flashed an image of a ditch in back I was shopping for a house in Richmond. It was a ditch with water 3 feet below in a perfect sunny day.  Also I wrongly used the term “vaporize”, it should be “liquefaction”. The City of Richmond web said it is no biggy. City of Richmond got to say what City of Richmond got to say. No government official webs deny the possibilities and effect of liquefaction. The risk is minimal but there is always some lucky fellow gets the 649 jackpot. Typical household insurance covers only the building, not the land. Suppose Richmond is flooded and buildings collapse after quake, what it does to land value? Nobody can say for sure. If there is good deal, it may be worthwhile to take the risk. Richmond is a joyful place to live after all.

MyOMy

Utopia,

You are funny. I luckily have a mother in law don't talk too loud and she only bitch at her daughter. Besides she takes care of my children.


To Shutterbug,

For the housing investment calculation. That is assume you don’t have 18,000 back then, you just have the down payment.  Suppose there is a 40 years mortgage (not in real life). You mortgage the whole proceed with 9%, you pay approx. $140 a month for 40 years. You got to live in the house for 40 years.  By the end of the 40 years, you still can sell the house for 800,000.  I myself will be happy if I can get 400,000 for it.  

So, one should try your best come up with some sort of downpayment.